


pool (this time you don't leave me sinking)

by dahyunayeon



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: College AU, F/F, Mentions of alcohol, idk what to write in the summary sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:22:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23920771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dahyunayeon/pseuds/dahyunayeon
Summary: Tzuyu has a hard time with her classes, so Jeongyeon offers to help her; but things get out of hand.
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Yoo Jeongyeon
Comments: 3
Kudos: 104





	pool (this time you don't leave me sinking)

**Author's Note:**

> commissioned by jan ♥ thank you, i love you and i hope this is what you expected. 
> 
> also big thank you to pablo for putting up with me and reading this a million times

It’s a sunny day, but Jeongyeon feels as if there was a rain cloud over her head. This is her second first day at college. 

When she got out of high school, all she wanted to do was study music, but her family wanted her to get into something ‘more serious’, worried that she wouldn’t have a secure future. After a lot of arguing and tears, they reached a compromise. Jeongyeon would get to study music, but she would graduate on time and then move to business studies. 

And so there she is, at age 23, starting college _again_. And it’s not that bad, really, she doesn’t mind, but the world seems to be against her. First, she slept through her alarm, but that was alright because she set it up twenty minutes earlier than needed. But then when she went into the kitchen to make some breakfast, the milk was spoiled and she ruined her cereals. But whatever, she could grab something on the way to class. So she went to change into the outfit she had prepared the night before, only to realize her cat had decided it was the perfect place to sleep on. Jeongyeon grabbed her black sweater, now covered in grey cat hair. 

“Maybe I should just skip orientation day _._ ” Jeongyeon tells her cat, although it doesn’t even bother looking at her, now lying comfortably on Jeongyeon’s unmade bed.

\---

Tzuyu slumps her shoulders in the backseat of a car and sighs deeply. The uber driver glances at her through the rearview mirror, but he doesn’t say anything. She takes off the lid of her coffee cup and chugs it down; god knows she’ll need the caffeine. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and rests her head against the side of the car, watching the road. After two years spent abroad in Europe, her freedom had run out. Her parents had given her the opportunity to travel and see the world (a fact they loved reminding her of), but eventually she would have to do as they said and study to work in the family business. 

Her relationship with her family was never the best; and despite what her parents think, she isn’t interested in the business nor in having stupid amounts of money. If her parents knew she spent most of her _generous_ allowance supporting a local pet shelter, they would ground her for months. But there’s nothing she can do about it now, except try her best to get through college.

\---

Jeongyeon manages to get to the classroom in time, thanks to her sister Seungyeon giving her a ride on her way to work. Jeongyeon walks through the lecture hall in a rush, wanting to find a good seat before the room got full. She sits down towards the middle, close to the stairs; then she gets her notebook and a pen, ready for when the teacher comes. 

Her phone had been vibrating like crazy throughout the morning, so now that she’s finally calm, Jeongyeon unlocks it to see her friends talking in the groupchat. She chuckles when she reads about Nayeon telling them how she made a fool of herself in front of a pretty girl, but still managed to get her phone number, and Jeongyeon has to laugh because _of course_ that kinda stuff happens to Nayeon. She’s so engrossed sending funny stickers that she doesn’t pay any mind to the person that takes the seat next to hers. 

The teacher arrives and the class quiets down. Despite this not being Jeongyeon’s main choice, she’s still excited. She got to pick it, after all, and she hopes it will be helpful in a future musical career. The teacher introduces herself and starts telling them a bit about what life is like in the campus, how classes will be managed and what they can expect from the year. 

Jeongyeon takes notes dutifully, even if she probably won’t ever need them. She makes them pretty and tidy, using colored gel pens and other many stationary items. She’s in the middle of underlining a heading when someone taps on her shoulder.

“Sorry, do you think you could lend me a pen? Mine ran out of ink.” A soft voice with a slight accent asks, and Jeongyeon is so focused on the task at hand that she doesn’t look up yet.

“Yeah, sure,” She blindly reaches for her pencil case and takes out a simple blue ballpoint pen. She offers it to the person, and _then_ she looks up. 

Jeongyeon feels the need to pinch herself, because right now she believes she’s in the presence of an angel. The pretty girl takes the pen and smiles shyly, muttering a small _thanks._ She goes back to writing on her own papers, which are much less organized than Jeongyeon’s; it’s just the most important information scribbled lazily over the pages. Jeongyeon gapes at her for one more second before turning around. 

She takes her phone from her pocket and tries to type with one hand from under the desk.

**_Jeong_ **

_emergency!!_

_girls!! I’ve met an angel_

_i think i died_

_HELP_

**_Nayeon_ **

_lol what are u? gay?_

Jeongyeon curses under her breath and pockets her phone back, now completely lost on what the teacher was talking about. She eyes the pretty girl’s notes, but they’re so messy Jeongyeon can’t understand a single word. With all the bravery she can muster, Jeongyeon clears her throat to get the girl’s attention.

“What was that last thing she said?”

“Her email address, she’s writing it on the blackboard now.”

“Ah, thanks.” Jeongyeon smiles but inside she’s calling herself an idiot, she should’ve paid more attention. But the girl doesn’t seem to mind; quite the opposite. 

She notices how put together Jeongyeon seems to be, and how complete and detailed her notes are. Right then she decides she could do with someone like her in her life.

“I’m Chou Tzuyu, by the way.” The pretty girl offers her hand, catching Jeongyeon off guard. She smiles politely and shakes Tzuyu’s hand vigorously.

“Yoo Jeongyeon.”

\---

They go out for a coffee after class. Jeongyeon is excited about having made a new friend, especially one as pretty as Tzuyu. And Tzuyu, well, she’s glad she’s met someone who seems friendly enough to help her if she asks.

Since Tzuyu is still rather new to the city, Jeongyeon takes her to her favorite place. It’s a modern place usually packed with students, and most importantly, it’s where one of her best friends, Jihyo, works at; which means she gets a small discount, if Jihyo’s manager isn’t around. 

Jeongyeon leads Tzuyu to the counter, grinning from ear to ear. “Hyo!”

“Hey Jeong.” Jihyo greets her with a tired smile, but her eyes widen when she sees Tzuyu. “She’s-”

“I know.” Jeongyeon whispers back and nods, because yeah, she can’t believe it either. Jihyo clears her throat and puts on her best barista smile.

“So, welcome to Sunset Café, what can I get for you?” 

They place their orders (Tzuyu wipes out a credit card and pays for them, which Jeongyeon finds very impressive) and then move to a table towards the back.

“You seemed to know that girl. Do you come here often?”

“She’s one of my best friends, actually. Met her in high school.” Jeongyeon licks her lips and looks around, a bit nervous about being alone with Tzuyu. She has no idea what to talk about, what could she and Tzuyu possibly have in common? Lucky for her, Tzuyu is great at small talk.

“Where did you study?” 

“It’s pretty close to here, actually. You might have seen the blue building with big glass windows on your way to class.”

“Ah, yes, I saw it.” She hadn’t. 

“What about you?” Jeongyeon asks just as Jihyo places their orders in the table, giving Jeongyeon a funny look that she interprets as _you better tell me every single detail later_. 

“I studied in Taiwan.” She smiles and tilts her head, and Jeongyeon’s mouth forms an O shape. She thought she looked foreign. “I’ve only been here for a couple of months, hence the accent.”

Jeongyeon blushes a bit and shakes her head. “I hadn’t noticed it until you mentioned it.”

Tzuyu chuckles and takes a sip of her coffee. “Don’t worry, I know I have it. It’s ok, I don’t mind.”

“What brings you here, then? Why Seoul?”

“My dad studied here when he was younger. He went to our same university, actually; and since he expects me to take over the company he thought it would be a good idea for me to follow his steps or something like that.” Tzuyu says uninterestedly as she stirs her coffee.

“Oh, that sounds interesting,” Jeongyeon comments in what she hopes is a nonchalant tone, not wanting to show how impressed she actually is. 

“It’s not a huge company or anything like that, though. He has a real estate agency that’s only big in Taiwan and that’s it, but he loves acting like he owns Apple or something. What about you, though? Why business?”

Compared to Tzuyu’s story, Jeongyeon doesn’t think hers is that interesting, but she still tells the truth trying to sound unaffected. “I’m here to make my parents happy, too; I guess you could say that. Although I have no big family business waiting for me.” Jeongyeon sips from her coffee and when she puts the cup down she has a small foam mustache that makes Tzuyu chuckle. “You know, if you need help reading or writing and stuff, you can ask me. It must be hard for you, being here all by yourself.”

Tzuyu takes Jeongyeon’s hand in hers and gives it a light squeeze. “Thank you so much, Jeongie. That would make me really happy.” 

Jeongyeon chokes at the nickname. Tzuyu thinks that was a bit too easy.

\---

They settle on having study sessions three times a week, sometimes four if there’s a lot to do. They meet in the library and Tzuyu always brings coffee and pastries to make up for the fact that Jeongyeon ends up doing everything. 

Jeongyeon helps Tzuyu understand the hard parts of the texts and corrects her grammar; but Tzuyu tends to get self conscious and sad because she makes too many mistakes, or she can’t understand a paragraph no matter how much she tries. She’s not faking it, she really has trouble figuring out the meaning of some words and their spelling, but a little acting doesn’t hurt either. Jeongyeon is weak to her puppy eyes and offers to do it for her without Tzuyu having to verbally ask. In no time it goes from Jeongyeon doing one or two of the tasks to her doing most of the assignment, if not all of it. 

All that work takes a toll on Jeongyeon, especially on her sleeping schedule; but she tells herself it doesn’t matter, she can sacrifice a few hours of sleep if it means she gets to spend more time with Tzuyu. After all, it’s not all work; they spend lunch break together and sometimes they move their study dates to the park, where they sit under a tree and talk for hours, getting to know each other more. Jeongyeon loves talking to Tzuyu, there’s so much more to her than just being a pretty face, and it makes Jeongyeon grow fond of her. She’s very smart, always makes an effort to get better at korean, and she’s kind to everyone she meets. Jeongyeon also starts noticing little quirks and habits Tzuyu has, like how she plays with her ear when she focuses or how she always presses her lips together before asking a question. Jeongyeon feels her heart do little jumps every time she’s with Tzuyu, and she wonders if it’s a normal reaction people have towards her or if she’s developing a crush. She hopes it’s the former.

And Tzuyu starts to genuinely enjoy spending time with Jeongyeon, too. The more she learns about the girl, the more she likes her; and the guiltier she feels. Jeongyeon shares her love for animals (Tzuyu squeals when Jeongyeon tells her about her pets and the shelter her and her sister go to), she loves baking, and she likes composing in her free time. 

Sometimes, while Jeongyeon works, Tzuyu stares. Jeongyeon tends to pout when she reads and it brings a smile to Tzuyu’s lips. She quickly shakes her head when she realizes, though, and gets into her work to stop thinking about the brunette. She knows it won’t end up well if they get too close.

\---

Despite Tzuyu’s effort to put some distance between them, they become closer with each passing day, and Tzuyu finds she misses Jeongyeon when the girl leaves. 

Jeongyeon keeps doing all the work. Tzuyu doesn’t say anything.

\---

Tzuyu gets almost perfect scores, and so does Jeongyeon, but the bags under her eyes are getting harder to hide. 

Nayeon and Jihyo notice this, too. Whenever they want to hang out, Jeongyeon says she’s too busy or too tired, and sometimes she doesn’t even reply in the groupchat. So Nayeon and Jihyo decide to take matters into their own hands and show up at her apartment one day. Seungyeon lets them in and they barge into Jeongyeon’s room, only to find her asleep on a bunch of papers.

“Yo, loser,” Nayeon pokes her cheek but she doesn’t move. There’s a bit of drool on the desk and it’s gross. “Ew, wake up.” This time Nayeon shoves her a bit and Jeongyeon wakes up startled, almost falling from her chair. 

“What the fuck?”

“What the fuck _you_?” Nayeon crosses her arms, frowning at her friend.

“That makes no sense-”

“Jeongyeon, why are you sleeping on your desk?” Jihyo asks with that tone that could make even the toughest soldier tremble in fear. Her face looks calm, but Jeongyeon knows better than to let that fool her.

“It’s… good for my posture.” 

“Oh yeah? Tilt your head towards your left.” Jihyo quirks an eyebrow, waits for Jeongyeon to do it. She grimaces and tries to do it, but ends up with a sharp pain on her strained neck. “Thought so.”

“What are you even doing here?” Jeongyeon moves to her bed and lies down, rubbing her sore neck. Her back relaxes a little once she gets comfortable on the mattress. It doesn’t last long though, as Nayeon sits almost on top of her while Jihyo takes the desk chair.

“This is an intervention.” Nayeon says seriously, resting a hand on top of Jeongyeon’s tight. “You haven’t been resting well and it shows.”

“Hey…” 

“I’m just saying.”

“We just wanna know why. You weren’t like this even when you studied music, and you spent whole nights composing.” There’s a lot of concern in Jihyo's eyes and it makes Jeongyeon feel bad. She had been pretending that everything was ok, but in reality it was all becoming too much for her to handle.

“I just have a lot to do. We have a stupid amount of work and between mine and Tzuyu’s-” Jeongyeon purses her lips and closes her eyes. She wasn’t supposed to mention it, because she knew her friends would say exactly what she’s been telling herself, but trying hard to ignore. 

“Tzuyu? Jeong, don’t tell me you’re doing her homework.” Jihyo looks disappointed. Jeongyeon would rather her be mad, because she doesn’t like the look on her friend’s face at all. 

“She’s not from here, alright? She needs some help, that’s all.”

“ _I_ needed some help when we had math in high school, and you only explained things for ten minutes before telling me to suck it up.” Nayeon says, eyebrows furrowed. “And you didn’t even let me copy off your exam.”

“ _You_ are an idiot. She has it hard and I’m just trying to make it a bit easier on her.” Jeongyeon shrugs. She knows her friends have a point, but she keeps telling herself that it’s ok, she likes making Tzuyu happy and if doing her work for her is the way, then she will gladly do it. 

“Liking someone isn’t an excuse to let them take advantage of you like this.” Nayeon rolls her eyes, getting annoyed with Tzuyu even though she doesn’t know her. “Why can’t you see what she’s doing?”

“She’s not.”

Jeongyeon’s phone lights up on the desk and the three of them turn to look at it. A beat of silence, and then Nayeon is throwing herself over Jeongyeon so she can’t get up while Jihyo unlocks it and reads the text.

“ _Tzu, heart emoji,_ ” Jihyo gives her a _are you serious?_ look and keeps reading. “ _Thanks again for writing my essay ♥ this one is the best one yet. i’ll buy you lunch tomorrow~_ ”

Jeongyeon feels ashamed. The way Nayeon’s expression softens makes her feel worse. She doesn’t want to hear what they’re thinking, doesn’t need them to say it outloud, because seeing the pity in their faces is enough. But she can’t keep avoiding the truth.

“Jeong, I’m sorry… but she’s using you.” Jihyo leaves the phone on the desk and Jeongyeon closes her eyes, trying to keep the tears in. 

“She’s not… you don’t understand.” Jeongyeon rubs her eyes and refuses to look at her friends. But having known each other for so long means they understand each other without needing words. They already know what the other needs when they’re sad. That’s how Nayeon and Jihyo end up sandwiching Jeongyeon in her own bed. Jeongyeon protests, of course, she always has and always will, but she ends up letting Nayeon spoon her while she hides her face in Jihyo’s shoulder. 

“You’re a big baby.” Nayeon mumbles and Jeongyeon elbows her. “And I don’t want you talking to her anymore.”

“I’m grown.” Jeongyeon rolls her eyes.

“Are you sure? Because it doesn’t seem like it.”

“Nay,” Jihyo scolds Nayeon, and Jeongyeon laughs at her. Just like when they were fifteen. “She’s right, though. Tzuyu isn’t good for you, not on these terms. If you really like her that much, you gotta stop doing everything for her and see how she reacts.”

Jeongyeon sighs, knowing she’s lost already. “I hate when you’re right.”

They talk for a bit more before they fall asleep, too tired from having to do adult things all the time. Later, Seungyeon comes into the room to find them tangled on the bed like that and she chuckles, because they haven’t changed a bit since high school.

\---

Tzuyu looks at the text she last sent Jeongyeon, one where she asked her about a book chapter that was due that week. Jeongyeon left her on read. That was last saturday, and she hasn’t heard of her since friday. Now it’s monday, and she knows it hasn’t been that long, but she misses the older girl. Tzuyu feels _terrible_ , guilt has caught up to her and she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do.

She’s used to people doing everything for her but now she fears she might have crossed a line. 

When she was a kid, Tzuyu liked doing things for herself despite being raised with everything served on a silver platter. When she studied ballet, she was terrible at it. She never got any of the moves right and her rhythm was off. When the teacher told this to her parents, they fired the woman and hired a new one. That teacher was awful, barely explained what Tzuyu was supposed to do and always smiled in a fake, practiced way, and told Tzuyu and her parents she was doing great. Tzuyu never learned and it frustrated her, but it made her parents happy.

But as she grew up, she started to see how convenient the help she received could be. Throughout middle school, all the boys would scramble to carry her bag and open doors for her. Girls would give her candy and lip gloss. She had a lot of lip gloss. Everyone wanted to be paired up with her for projects, and she never had to move a finger. Not because she didn’t want to, she tried to participate, but everyone would shush her and tell her to not worry, to go rest, they had it under control. 

Tzuyu learned to live with it and it became a habit, one that was hard to let go.

She doesn’t see Jeongyeon in any of the classes for the day, and when she texts her she gets no reply. Tzuyu tries not to think too much of it, maybe she was sick or simply decided to skip that day. She didn’t own Tzuyu any explanations, so Tzuyu wouldn’t ask. 

(That was a lie).

She sent Jeongyeon four more texts, asking why she wasn’t in class and telling her to rest well if she had stayed at home. 

Classes were hard without Jeongyeon around to help her, and Tzuyu realized how dependent she had become on the older girl. Not only that, but also how little she had cared for Jeongyeon by letting her carry the weight of two.

Tuesday was the same, no sign of Jeongyeon in class nor through texts, and Tzuyu was starting to worry. She thought of going by Sunset Café, maybe Jihyo was there and she could ask her about the brunette, but she felt that if Jeongyeon was avoiding her, then Jihyo would know, and she didn’t want to face her if that was the case. So Tzuyu goes home disheartened, wondering what it was that made Jeongyeon realize she wasn’t worth the trouble.

On Wednesday, Tzuyu sees Jeongyeon. 

She’s practically hiding, wearing a hoodie and a cap, sat at the very back of the classroom. She’s on her phone, fingers moving rapidly against the screen as she smiles, which denies Tzuyu’s hipotesis that she had had her phone stolen. She was being ignored and it hurt a lot. Tzuyu didn’t bother trying to talk to her, the girl clearly didn’t want to see her anymore, so Tzuyu would stay away. She had done enough damage.

\---

Tzuyu spent the following week stressed out of her mind. Trying to do her assignments was hard enough as is, and her mind constantly reminding her of Jeongyeon didn’t help at all. Every time her phone dinged she left everything she was doing to check if it was Jeongyeon, but it was always her parents or some stranger trying to talk to her on instagram DMs. Until she received a text she didn’t expect, but one she surely needed.

**_Sana ♡_ **

_Tzuyu babyyyyy~_

_Guess who’s in Seoul~~~_

\---

Finding Sana is really easy, Tzuyu just has to look for the one person who sticks out from the crowd the most. And surely, Tzuyu finds her friend standing in front of a restaurant, bundled up in a thick coat and a skirt, her bright pink hair easily setting her apart from the rest. 

(Tzuyu will mention how, if Sana is cold, she should consider wearing some pants. Sana will tell her to not be ridiculous. They’ve been over it a couple of times.)

When Sana spots Tzuyu, her face lights up with a smile and she waves at her excitedly, jumping like a little kid. Tzuyu lets herself be engulfed in Sana’s embrace, and as she wraps her arms around Sana’s waist, she realizes just how much she needed a hug.

“My baby! You’ve gotten so tall.” Sana coos and pinches Tzuyu’s cold cheeks, making her whine.

“I’m already twenty, Sana, I’m not a baby.” 

“I thought you had accepted already that you will always be my baby.” Sana links their arms together and her smile is so big her eyes turn into small crescent moons. Tzuyu sighs and lets herself be led into the restaurant. She’s missed Sana.

They met in high school in Japan, at an all girls prestigious academy. They were roommates for two years until Sana graduated, but they were very close and dear to each other, so they kept in touch very often. Sana stayed in Japan after her graduation, while Tzuyu went back to Taiwan and then to Europe. Sana was her first real friend, the first one who wasn’t with her for her looks or her money. Sana was also her first kiss, a fact she loves mentioning only to make Tzuyu blush a deep shade of red. 

The restaurant is elegant and has a mature feel to it; it was Sana’s choice. The older woman orders a bottle of wine for them and winks at Tzuyu when she makes a face, impressed at the expensive pick.

“I see you’re still generous.” Tzuyu chuckles, remembering how Sana had no problem spending money back on their school days.

“Me? Oh, I thought you were paying.” Sana snickers mischievously.

They speak leisurely, enjoying their meal and catching up with each other. Sana talks about how she moved to Korea thanks to a job offer to teach literature in a university in Seoul, how her girlfriend Mina moved in with her, and about the engagement rings she’s been window shopping lately. Tzuyu is elated for her friend, she knows Sana has always wanted a life like this; serene, away from all the responsibilities and expectations placed upon them the moment they were born. 

Tzuyu can’t help but feel a little bit bad, though. There’s nothing she’d like more than to live like Sana, making her own choices without having to worry about what her parents will say. Sana seems to notice the falter in her smile, because she reaches out to hold her hand over the table comfortingly.

“Has life been kind to you here?”

“You could say that.” Tzuyu shrugs, trying hard to not mention Jeongyeon, it’s not worth it and she’ll probably get sad. She doesn't want to ruin her night with Sana. But Sana smirks knowingly and quirks an eyebrow, and Tzuyu is spilling everything in a rant, almost running out of breath. Her friend listens to every single detail attentively, smiling at the cute parts and frowning when she hears about how Jeongyeon ghosted her. 

“...and now I don’t know how to approach her again, how to let her know I _do_ care about her as a friend.” Tzuyu exhales, finally breathing normally after having taken everything out of her chest. 

“Oh honey, I think she’s way more than a friend.” Sana drinks her wine cheekily, enjoying the way Tzuyu looks away, embarrassed.

“Do you seriously think so?”

“You just just spent-” Sana checks her watch. “Thirteen minutes talking about her and how much you miss her.”

Tzuyu groans and hides her face in her hands. “It’s too late to do anything. I messed everything up and now she doesn’t want to see me anymore. She’s better off without me.”

“First of all, you need to talk to her. Yes, it’s true that you used her for your own benefit,” Tzuyu glares at Sana but the japanese girl shrugs. “What? It’s true, you have to accept it if you want to get back on good terms with her. Anyway, I was saying, despite what happened, you can still apologize and let her know how you really feel.”

“And if she rejects me?” Tzuyu’s voice is small, afraid of what might happen once she talks to Jeongyeon.

“Then I’ll buy you all the ice cream you want and you can cry it out.”

“How am I supposed to talk to her if she won’t even reply to my texts?” 

“The old way.” Sana says as if it was the most obvious thing, but Tzuyu looks at her, waiting for the end of her sentence. Sana rolls her eyes. “Face to face, Tzuyu! Be honest with her. From what you tell me, she’s a nice person, and I think she does care about you, she’s just hurt.”

“I’m gonna face the embarrassment of my life when I try to talk and she keeps walking…”

“Don’t you think she’s worth it, though?”

\---

Tzuyu doesn’t listen to a single thing the teacher talks about, too focused on Jeongyeon who is sitting a few rows in front of her. The older woman stopped trying to hide after a few days, but she did an amazing job at avoiding Tzuyu. But Sana made her realize she can’t just give up and let Jeongyeon walk away without at least taking a shot. She cared about Jeongyeon, and it was time she showed it. 

As soon as class is over, Tzuyu stands up and heads out of the classroom. She waits outside the door, watching all her classmates leave the room impatiently. She’s incredibly nervous, she’s never done something like this and she doesn't know what to expect. Knowing Jeongyeon, she would probably let her down in the nicest way possible despite Tzuyu not deserving it, but she still can’t help but worry. 

Jeongyeon walks out, looking at her phone distractedly, and Tzuyu takes a deep breath before walking towards her. 

“Hello,” Tzuyu chokes up a bit and clears her throat, cheeks turning red when Jeongyeon looks up at her. “Can we talk?”

Jeongyeon seems hesitant, she looks around the hallway and notices they’re alone. All it takes is one look at Tzuyu’s pleading eyes and she agrees with a sigh. Her friends are gonna kill her.

“What’s up?” Jeongyeon tries to be as distant as possible, holding onto the straps of her backpack and standing a few steps away from Tzuyu.

“I’ve missed you,” Tzuyu blurts out, but she looks into Jeongyeon’s eyes and her stare doesn’t waver. She wants the woman to know she’s serious. “And I’m really sorry, I know our relationship wasn’t fair to begin with, but I hope you know I really regret everything I did… You deserve better than someone who-” Tzuyu sighs, feeling full of shame. It’s not something she’s used to feeling, but Jeongyeon is listening to her and waiting with a hopeful glint in her eyes, so Tzuyu swallows the knot on her throat and goes on. “I shouldn’t have taken advantage of your friendship like that, and I hope you can forgive me.”

Jeongyeon looks at the floor once Tzuyu finishes. She’s not sure of what she’s feeling or what she should reply. She thought Tzuyu didn’t care about her, that she was nothing but a tool to get what she needed; so to see her there, being vulnerable and asking for her forgiveness, confuses Jeongyeon. 

“You don’t have to say anything now, I understand it’s something you have to think through,” Tzuyu plays with her hands in front of her, trying her best to keep her voice stable through the nerves. “But please consider giving me another chance… if you agree to meet tomorrow night, we can talk things through better, more calm.”

Jeongyeon bites her lip, going over her options. She can deny Tzuyu right now, tell her to stop talking to her and deal with her own sadness for a couple more weeks, or she can give her the second chance she’s asking for and listen to what she has to say. 

She decides that she’s tired of missing Tzuyu. “Where would we meet?”

Tzuyu perks up and smiles, glad that Jeongyeon didn’t turn her back on her. 

“My apartment, I can cook something nice for dinner.”

Jeongyeon smiles slightly and looks into Tzuyu’s eyes. She can tell the girl is being sincere. 

“I’ll see you there, then.”

\---

Jeongyeon’s saturdays are usually calm. She likes to sleep in, have a proper meal and then lounge around all day. She spends some time with her sister, plays with her pets, takes a nap… it’s a day reserved to regain all the energy she loses during the week. 

Tonight, however, Jeongyeon can’t stop feeling on edge. She’s supposed to go to Tzuyu’s place in five hours, but she’s still in her pajamas, pacing around her room, anxious. 

She already told Nayeon and Jihyo about her decision, and they took their sweet time during a phone call calling her an idiot in all the ways possible. But Jeongyeon would rather go and speak to her, even if it ends terribly; than keep living with the doubt of what could’ve been. 

Seungyeon knocks on Jeongyeon’s open door, looking at her sister like she’s crazy. Which, really, she is; and her disheveled looks don’t help at all.

“I can hear your panic all the way from the living room,” Seungyeon walks in and sits on the bed, watching as Jeongyeon resumes her pacing. “What’s wrong.”

Jeongyeon bites her lips, wondering if she should tell her sister or not. But the embarrassment is worth it, because she needs all the help she can get. “I have to meet with a girl tonight and I don’t think I’m emotionally ready.”

“You have a _date_ ? Seungyeon’s eyes light up, excited about her little sister going out. “With _who_? You haven’t mentioned anyone.”

“It’s not a date, ok? I’m just going over to a friends house to talk about some issues.”

“If it’s a friend then why are you acting like this?” 

“Because she’s… a special friend, alright? Some stuff happened and now we have to talk.” Seungyeon gives her a teasing look and Jeongyeon huffs, hitting her shoulder. “Not special like that.”

“Well, you still have to make an _impression_ , so tell me, what are you planning on wearing?”

Jeongyeon points to some clothes she had picked out, piled up on top of her desk. Seungyeon inspects the clothes and then looks at Jeongyeon with an offended expression.

“You can’t really be thinking about meeting her with _this_ shirt,” Seungyeon holds up a grey shirt with a cartoon cat coming out of the pocket. “Jeongyeon, you wear this every day.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Ugh, no wonder you’re single.”

“Hey!” Jeongyeon pouts and Seungyeon ruffles her hair. She grabs her arm and leads her towards her room, where she opens her closet and starts ruffling through her clothes.

“Don’t worry sis, that’s what I’m here for.”

\---

After a lot of preparation, Jeongyeon is walking towards Tzuyu’s building. Getting ready had been a real hassle; Seungyeon and her spent an hour picking a good outfit, and even after that, she insisted on ironing Jeongyeon’s hair and doing her makeup. Then Jeongyeon panicked about three times, said she wasn’t going twice, and tried to escape once. 

But looking at her reflection in a window shop she passes by, she thinks it’s worth it. She’s wearing a white shirt with the first buttons undone and tucked inside her tight jeans.

Tzuyu’s building is nothing short of what Jeongyeon had imagined: even the front view is luxurious, covered in stained glass and surrounded by plants. Jeongyeon presses the buzzer and Tzuyu merely tells her to come in before opening the door for her. 

Jeongyeon stares at her in the elevator mirror. She has to admit she looks gorgeous, and she hopes Tzuyu thinks so too. When the doors slide open, she lets out one last sigh before heading towards Tzuyu’s door and knocking. 

Tzuyu opens the door with a shy grin and a bit of sauce on her cheek. “Hey,” She invites Jeongyeon in and the brunette is amazed by the place. She takes her shoes off and walks awkwardly behind Tzuyu into the apartment. “Thank you so much for coming tonight, Jeong… I really appreciate it.” Tzuyu swings on the ball of her feet. She looks adorable and it makes Jeongyeon’s heart flutter. The youngest is wearing a peach colored turtleneck and washed jeans, as well as a kitchen apron wrapped around her neck.

“It’s ok, you don’t have to thank me. You have, um,” Jeongyeon points to her own cheek and Tzuyu’s eyes widen when she realizes she has food on her face. She wipes it with the tip of the apron and blushes, smiling at Jeongyeon apologetically. 

“Sorry, I’m just giving dinner the finishing touches…”

“I didn’t think you’d actually cook,” Jeongyeon chuckles, noticing now the nice smell coming from the kitchen. “Now I feel bad, I should’ve brought something.”

“Oh, no need to worry, I have everything covered.” 

Tzuyu has set up a table in the spacious living room, with two wine glasses, plates, and some candles in the middle. Jeongyeon snaps a picture and sends it to the group chat; all she gets is rolling eyes emojis. Tzuyu appears a bit later with the food, and they enjoy the dinner in relative silence with some quiet music playing in the background.

The food is absolutely delicious, so much that Jeongyeon even gets a second plate. Tzuyu feels flattered and happy that Jeongyeon liked it so much. The wine Tzuyu picked is exquisite as well, and it’s so fancy Jeongyeon doesn’t even recognize the brand. It’s sweet and a bit stronger than what Jeongyeon is used to, but she guesses it’s what Tzuyu usually drinks. (In reality, it was a gift from Sana, and Tzuyu is starting to feel a bit light headed).

Eventually Jeongyeon breaks the silence to ask Tzuyu about how she’s been doing lately, and they easily fall into a silly, comfortable conversation, just like they used to when they shared lunch at school. They are so entertained, they keep filling their glasses, and before they notice it they’ve already drunk more than half of the bottle.

When they finish their food, the mood changes and they both remember why they’re there in the first place. They move to the couch, and they sit rather away from each other. 

Tzuyu’s eyes are glossy, the wine has definitely affected her, and Jeongyeon blames herself for not noticing before and letting her drink so much.

“I didn’t know you were such a lightweight, Tzu,” Jeongyeon teases, trying to make things less awkward. Tzuyu hiccups and shakes her head.

“It’s ok, I’m ok…” Tzuyu closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “I know I said it before, but I need to say it again. I’m really really sorry I used you like that, Jeong.” Hearing it come from Tzuyu’s mouth stings, Jeongyeon won’t lie, but she can also tell that she’s trying to fix her mistake. “I realized how much I care about you too late. I like you so much…” Tzuyu blurts out, and Jeongyeon opens her eyes in surprise. Tzuyu scoots closer to her on the couch and Jeongyeon can get a better look at how drunk Tzuyu really is. She grabs Jeongyeon’s hands and rests them over her lap. 

“Tzu, you don’t know what you’re saying…” Jeongyeon doesn’t want to get her hopes up, the girl is clearly wasted and she most likely doesn’t mean it. Jeongyeon doesn’t believe that Tzuyu could reciprocate her feelings.

“Yes, I do know… You have no idea how much I missed you. When you wouldn’t talk to me, it really hurt, but it was necessary for me to realize what an ass I was being. Please forgive me,” Tzuyu sobs and presses her forehead against Jeongyeon’s shoulder. The oldest doesn’t know what to do, so she settles for rubbing Tzuyu’s back in hopes to comfort her. 

“Hey, it’s ok, really. You don’t need to keep apologizing. I forgive you, alright?” When she doesn’t get any answer, Jeongyeon cups Tzuyu’s cheeks and makes her look into her eyes.

“You do?”

“Yes Tzu. I’m not mad, just a bit hurt.”

“I’m sorry,” Tzuyu says again, lip jutting out as she closes her eyes, more tears running down her cheeks. 

“Don’t be,” Jeongyeon can’t help but chuckle a bit, Tzuyu looks too cute even when crying drunk.

“I like you.” Jeongyeon’s heart picks up again, but she tells herself Tzuyu is just talking nonsense. “Jeong…”

“You don’t-” 

Jeongyeon can’t finish her sentence, because Tzuyu grips her shirt by the neck and kisses her. Jeongyeon freezes in place; never in a million years did she think Tzuyu would kiss her. Jeongyeon barely kisses back but Tzuyu is relentless, nibbling on her lip until Jeongyeon gives in. 

She allows herself to enjoy it for a moment, the way Tzuyu’s warm hands move from her shirt to cup her neck and how soft her lips are against hers. When Tzuyu traces her tongue over Jeongyeon’s bottom lip, she slightly pushes Tzuyu away. 

“Tzu, you’re drunk.”

“I like you so much,” Tzuyu repeats once again, hiding her flushed face on Jeongyeon’s neck. She’s stopped crying but her breathing is a bit labored still. Jeongyeon takes a moment to figure out what to do, but shivers run down her spine when she feels Tzuyu kissing her neck. “Do you like me too?”

“I-” Jeongyeon sighs and closes her eyes; she can’t do this while Tzuyu is drunk. “Let’s get you to bed, alright?” 

Tzuyu doesn’t seem to mind not getting a reply, at least for a while, and she lets Jeongyeon carry her towards her bedroom. The oldest awkwardly takes off her turtleneck and jeans, wanting Tzuyu to sleep comfortably. Luckily, Tzuyu is half asleep so she doesn’t protest. Once she’s settled in the bed, wearing an undershirt and sleep shorts, Jeongyeon tries to leave, but Tzuyu grabs onto her wrist and tugs her down.

“Please stay with me,” Tzuyu’s voice is small, and it’s so pleading Jeongyeon can’t deny her. She looks into Tzuyu’s wardrobe and borrows a shirt and some shorts, and once she’s changed she slips into bed next to the girl. Tzuyu pecks her lips and Jeongyeon blushes. Tzuyu tries to kiss her again but Jeongyeon stops her, not wanting to take advantage of her. Eventually she stops trying and falls asleep, gripping Jeongyeon’s shirt tightly.

Jeongyeon sighs in relief once she’s sure Tzuyu is passed out. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and giggles at Tzuyu’s blush spreading from her cheeks to the tip of her ears. 

\---

Jeongyeon feels a little cold. She tugs the covers up to her shoulders, but there’s something holding it. She thinks her cat is sleeping in her bed, so she tries again. But then something that’s _definitely_ bigger than her cat moves, and Jeongyeon’s sleep daze wears off. She remembers where she is and she opens her eyes carefully.

She never thought she’d be face to face with Chou Tzuyu, asleep on her bed. Jeongyeon stares at her, admiring how pretty Tzuyu is. She has a slight frown, and Jeongyeon runs her thumb over it. Tzuyu’s expression relaxes and she flutters her eyes open.

“Good morning.” Jeongyeon whispers, not wanting to disturb the calm atmosphere of the room. Tzuyu mumbles in response and tugs the covers up to her nose. She shuts her eyes tightly and her frown returns. Jeongyeon realizes she must have a pretty terrible hangover. “I’ll make you some breakfast, ok?” 

Jeongyeon has a hard time finding everything in the kitchen; it’s way too big and Tzuyu barely has the essential cutlery. Jeongyeon is mixing the eggs for an omelette when she hears the shower running, and a couple of minutes later Tzuyu shows up in the kitchen, dragging her sock clad feet through the floor and holding her head with a pained expression.

“Hey there, sleepy head.” Jeongyeon shoots her a teasing smile and Tzuyu glares at her. There’s a glass of water and pills for her headache waiting for her on the kitchen island. Tzuyu’s heart swells. Jeongyeon silently hopes Tzuyu doesn’t remember what happened last night.

They don’t speak, and the only sound filling the kitchen is the coffee maker and the toaster, but it’s comfortable. Once everything is done, Jeongyeon sets everything up on the counter. She sits in front of Tzuyu with her plate and lets her eat in silence, she doesn’t want to overwhelm her and make her headache worse. 

“Thank you for staying…” Tzuyu mumbles as she sips the last bits of her coffee.

“I couldn’t possibly let you deal with a hangover alone.” Jeongyeon shrugs, because it really isn’t a big deal to her.

“No, thank you for staying ,” Tzuyu repeats, “I mean… this has never been a fair friendship, has it?” Tzuyu plays with the spoon inside her coffee mug and takes a deep breath. She just wants to take everything off her chest so they can leave it behind. “Ever since we met, I had nothing to offer, and yet you were always so kind to me. You were my friend without asking for anything in return and what did I do? I used to do the work for me.” Tzuyu chokes up a bit, and Jeongyeon feels a pang in her heart. “And then when you actually want to talk, I get drunk… Sorry I’m such a mess. I never even asked you how you felt with all of this.”

“It did hurt, I’ll admit it. But what hurt the most was thinking you didn’t care about me at all. Now I know that’s not the case. Just… be honest from now on, alright? I seriously don’t mind helping you but you gotta start doing things for yourself too.”

Tzuyu nods and puts her open palm on top of the counter. Jeongyeon takes it and squeezes lovingly. 

“Jeong… what I said today, I mean it.” Tzuyu looks at their joint hands, deciding that she has to make that clear now before it’s too late. “You don’t have to like me back, I understand. But I just wanted you to know that and… I’m sorry for kissing you like that.” Tzuyu blushes and lifts her gaze to meet Jeongyeon’s . The oldest looks at her dearingly, biting her lip to suppress a smile.

“Do you regret kissing me?” Jeongyeon asks.

“No,” Tzuyu replies without hesitations. “I just regret doing it while I was drunk. I must have given you a hard time.” 

Jeongyeon smiles and makes a decision. She gets up from her seat and rounds the island. Once she is standing next to Tzuyu, she cups her cheeks and kisses her. It’s chaste and short, but it makes Tzuyu feel light headed. 

“Does this mean you like me?” Tzuyu asks, a bit dumbfounded. Jeongyeon laughs and nods, smiling wide. 

“Yeah, I do. But I don’t wanna rush into things, if that’s ok with you.”

“Of course it is,” Tzuyu stands up and hugs Jeongyeon, resting her chin on her shoulder. It fits perfectly. “Thank you for giving me a second chance.”

Jeongyeon giggles and kisses her cheek. “You better put it to good use, Chou.”

“Oh, I will, as soon as I get rid of this hangover.” Tzuyu pouts, and Jeongyeon can’t resist pecking her again.

“Do you think some cuddles would make you feel better?”

“I think it’s worth trying.” 

**Author's Note:**

> if you're interested in commissions, i will be opening more slots soon! my twitter is dahyunayeon and so is my curiouscat acc, in case you have any questions. thank you for reading!


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